Filing cabinet



Feb. 15, 1944. A.'C. STRAYER 'FILINIG CABINE'I" Filed Dad. 16. 1941 Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED amass STATES PATENT QPFECE FILING CABINET Arthur C. Strayer, Beaver, Pa.

Application December 16, 1941, Serial No. 423,237

2 Claims. (01. 229-49) This invention relates to improvements in filing cabinets, and has relation more particularl to a casing comprised in such cabinet into which is adapted to be inserted a sliding drawer.

It is an object of the invention to provide a casing for a cabinet of this kind which may be formed Of fiber board or other desired material, with a frame or ring detachably engaging within the mouth portion of the casing to maintain the same in desired working assembly, and also to facilitate the sliding movement of the drawer working within the casing.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a frame or ring insertible within the front or mouth end portion of a casing which is initally fiat for shipping or storage, and which frame or ring, when applied, serves to maintain the casing properly extended or formed to receive the usual sliding drawer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a frame or ring constructed in a manner whereby it can be readily inserted within the front or mouth end portion of a casing, and also to provide a frame or ring which, when in applied position, serve to strengthen the side walls of the casing.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved filing cabinet whereby certain important advantages are attained, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. I

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary view in perspective of the front or mouth end portion of a casing for a filing cabinet having applied thereto a frame or casing constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the frame or casing as herein disclosed unapplied, with a portion broken away;

Figure 3 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional View taken substantially n the line 5-4 of Figure 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, C denotes a tubular casing of desired dimensions and which is adapted to receive a sliding drawer which moves into and out of the casing C through the open front or mouth end portion. The casing C, as herein disclosed, is preferably formed of a fiber board or paper stock of desired weight ber I, preferably by spot welding I4.

and gauge, and which is formed from a single blank of material to provide the bottom panel I, top panel 2, and the side panels 3. The longitudinal marginal portion of the top panel 2, as herein disclosed, is held to the adjacent upper marginal portion of a side panel 3 by an adhesive strip 4. It is believed to be obvious that the structure of the casing C is such that the same may be readily flattened for shipping or storage. The rear end of the casing C may be open or closed as preferred, but as the particular construction of the casing forms no part of the press ent invention a more detailed description and illustration thereof is not believed necessary.

When the casing C is extended or open for use, a frame or ring F is snugly fitted within the front or mouth end portion of the casing C, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the frame F is rectangular in form and is formed of a relatively narrow strip of metal bent at pre determined points to provide a top member 5, a bottom member 6, and the end members I. The free ends of the strip from which the frame F is formed has, in the present instance, its free ends comprised in the bottom member 6 and in abutment or close contact, as indicated at 8 in Figure 2 of the drawing.

overlying the inner face of the bottom member 6, and of a length substantially coextensive in length therewith, is a metallic facing strip 9 held or secured to the member 6 by spot welding, as at Iii. This strip 9 has its longitudinal margins defined by the perpendicularly related flanges H which overlie the side edges of the member 6 and in close contact therewith. The applied strip 9 assures the frame or ring F being held or maintained rigidly in desired formation for snug insertion within the front or mouth end portion of the casing C.

Each'of the end members I of the frame or ring F have disposed over the inner face thereof and substantially coextensive in length therewith a metallic strip i2 held to its associated end mem- The outer marginal portion of this strip I2 is defined by an outwardly and perpendicularly related flange i5, the outer marginal portion of which being defined by an inwardly directed flange It. The flange I6 is spaced apart from the adjacent end member l. of the frame or ring F to provide therebetween a space in which snugly accommodated the front or month end portion of a side panel 3 of the casing C as the frame or ring F is inserted in applied position within the opened or extended casing C.

Each of the strips I2 has its inner marginal portion defined by an outwardly disposed flange I l which extends across the inner edge face of the member I immediately adjacent thereto. The outer marginal portion of the flange I! is defined by the outwardly disposed plate I8, said plate I8, together with the flange II, being substantially coextensive with the length of the member I. The flange I I is of a size to outwardly offset the plate I8 with respect to the member 1 to have the outer face of the plate I8 substantially flush with the outer face of the member I so that said plate I8 will have close contact with the inner face of the adjacent side wall 3 when the frame or ring F is in applied position.

The outer marginal portion of the plate I8 provided with an inwardly disposed lip I9 on a desired angle, this lip serving to facilitate the insertion of the frame or ring within the open or mouth end portion of the casing C.

Each of the plates I8, at predetermined points spaced lengthwise thereof, is provided with elongated slots 20, the major axes of Which being disposed longitudinally of the plate.

Each of the side panels 3 of the casing C, at a required distance inwardly of its open front or mouth, is provided with the inwardly disposed and suitably spaced studs 2|. These studs 2| are so positioned that when the frame or ring F is inserted within the open end or mouth portion of the casing C, they will be received within the slots ,20 of the plates I8 and thereby serve to provide means for effectively locking the applied ring or frame F in position. This locking of the frame or ring F within the casing is such, however, to permit said frame or ring F to be readily and conveniently removed should it be desired to collapse the casing C to compact the same either for shipping or storage.

The studs 2| may be anchored to the side panels 3 in any manner desired and while I have hereinbefore referred to top and bottom panels I and 2 of the casing C and top and bottom members and 5 of the frame or ring F, it is believed to be obvious that in the present embodiment of the in vention this arrangement may be reversed.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a filing cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated.

I claim:

1. A collapsible open ended quadrilateral casing having top, bottom and side Walls, a, i e-enforcing frame disposed within the said open end of the casing against said Walls, a plate secured across the inner face of each of two opposite sides of the frame and having a portion extending laterally across the front edges of said sides and then reverted to form a rearward extension having spaced relation with the outer face of the adjacent side of the frame to snugly receive the forward edge of the adjacent side wall of the casing, each of said plates being extended obliquely across the inner edge -of the adjacent side of the frame to the plane of the outer face of said adjacent side and then extended rearwardly substantially in said plane for resilient contact against the inner face of the adjacent side wall of the casing, the said rearwardly extended portion of each plate being apertured and terminating in an inwardly flared lip, and securing studs carried by the walls of the casing against which the rearwardly extended apertured portions of the plates bear, for detachable engagement in the said apertures, the inner ends of the studs and the last mentioned extensions of the plates being off-set from the inner faces of the opposed sides of the frame to facilitate free movement through the frame of a drawer.

2. A collapsible open ended quadrilateral casing having top, bottom and side walls, a re-enforcing frame disposed within said open end against said walls, a plate joined to each of two opposite sides of the frame and having spaced parallel relation with the outer faces of such sides to snugly receive the adjacent side walls of the casing, a plate secured to each of the said opposite sides of the frame at and extending inwardly from the inner edges of said frame sides, the outer sides of the last mentioned plates being substantially in the planes of the outer faces of the adjacent sides of the frame for contact with the inner face of the adjacent side wall of the casing and securing studs detachably connecting the last mentioned plates with the adjacent sides of the casing, the said last mentioned plates being of a relatively thin material as compared with the adjacent sides of the frame, and the said studs being carried by the adjacent side walls of the casing, and said last mentioned plates having apertures for the reception of the inner ends of the studs, the inner ends of the studs and the said last mentioned plates being off-set from the inner faces of the said opposite sides of the frame to permit the free movement of a drawer through the frame.

ARTHUR C. STRAYER. 

